At first glance, this disc looks like a bit of throwaway fluff, but after watching it? If you are a Bond fan, you will love this 60 minute “Top Gear” special. Period. Host Richard Hammond – who so very clearly loves Bond as much as we do – takes viewers on a guided tour through Bond film history, packed with clips, stories and trivia. Now, I call myself a Bond freak, but there are probably a half-dozen different behind the scenes stories Hammond relates here that were entirely new to me. One involved the procuring of the iconic Aston Martin DB5 for use in “Goldfinger”; another detailed a stunt for “The Man with the Golden Gun” with the AMC Hornet that could have gone disastrously wrong.

A great deal of attention is paid to the DB5, but an equal amount of love is given to the Lotus Esprit from “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Surely you remember that one? It’s the sleek white job that turned into a submarine and made cinematic history. Though the tech of 1977 wouldn’t allow for the actual creation of such a vehicle, Hammond puts today’s technology to the test by attempting to make a fully functional Lotus submarine. You have got to see this. If that doesn’t do it for you (though how it couldn’t is baffling), there’s also his comical attempt at making an invisible car with the help of flatscreen TVs and cameras!

You can tell Hammond’s a take no prisoners fan, too. When the series starts to go to shit in the Brosnan era, he takes it to task for its failure to create proper vehicular thrills. The special also features Hammond chatting up directors Guy Hamilton and Vic Armstrong, Roger Moore, Daniel Craig, and producer Michael G. Wilson on the set of “Skyfall.” Speaking of “Skyfall,” if you’ve not yet ordered your copy from Amazon, this disc will nicely pad out your order so you can get free shipping.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/02/12/dvd-review-top-gear-50-years-of-bond-cars/feed/0The Best (and Worst) Gadget Arsenals of James Bondhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/11/09/the-best-and-worst-gadget-arsenals-of-james-bond/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/11/09/the-best-and-worst-gadget-arsenals-of-james-bond/#commentsFri, 09 Nov 2012 15:30:12 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=20869As we continue our celebration of everything 007 with our James Bond Fan Hub, it’s time to take a step into Q’s lab, and look at 007’s tools of trade.

In my mind, a spy is only as good as his full range of gear, and in honor of that I’m taking a looks at the Bond movies with the best collection of gadgets, and in the interest of perspective, the worst.

The Best

“GOLDFINGER”

The Gadget Report:

While “From Russia With Love” was the first movie to really include Bond gadgets, it wouldn’t be until the classic “Goldfinger” where we saw the idea really take off. I’ve heard it remarked before, but it’s great how Connery’s Bond always sounded impressed with the gadgets he was given, as even in his line of work you didn’t see these things every day. What I really like is how many of the gadgets would set a trend for future films. This was Bond’s first watch, the first defining villain device, and of course the first (and maybe best) Bond car. Even with some clunkers like the rubber duck topped stealth wetsuit, like so many other things in “Goldfinger,” the quality of gadgets here would be a real trendsetter for films to come.

Gadget Highlights:

The Aston Martin DB5

Industrial Laser

I Love How Completely Un-Phased Those Scientists Are

“YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE”

The Gadget Report:

Does a freaking awesome ninja army count as a gadget? No? Well James Bond’s strange trip to the far East is still loaded with high quality tech. You could definitely tell the series was starting to rely more and more on its prop department by this point as the ideas were getting more and more elaborate, yet still oddly appropriate for this world. My favorite part of this movie is all of the things that weren’t technically Bond gadgets but still awesome. Things like Bond’s contact’s personal subway system, the helicopter with the industrial magnet attached, or the quintessential villain lair in the hollowed out volcano all helped to make this one of the most memorable of the Bond movies.

Oh, and of course the actual Bond gadgets were awesome as well.

Gadget Highlights:

Rocket Launcher Cigarette

First One to Make a “Those Things Will Kill You” Joke Gets It

Attack Gyrocopter, A.K.A. “Little Nellie”

Yeah, well…Sean Connery Probably Thinks You Look Ridiculous

“LIVE AND LET DIE”

The Gadget Report:

Officially recognized by Wikipedia as the most gadget filled of all of the Bond movies, “Live and Let Die” was trying to make people forget that Roger Moore was the new Bond by loading it up with awesome gizmos. It almost works too as we are treated to the full gamut of devices that range from voodoo dolls, flutes that double as communicators, bug sweepers, robotic voodoo priests, enhanced mechanical prosthetic arms, flamethrowers, coffee makers (that surprisingly just make coffee), and the greatest Bond watch of all time, the Rolex Submariner with bullet deflecting magnet and saw watchface. The theme of the movie may have been black magic, but it’s the technology that steals the show.

Gadget Highlights:

The Rolex Submariner with Magnet

Once You Accept You’ll Never Own a Watch This Cool, Life Gets Surprisingly Easier

“THE SPY WHO LOVED ME”

The Gadget Report:

Roger Moore’s Bond movies were the most gadget filled, so it’s only appropriate that his best movie would feature some of his best tech. Besides the introduction of the iconic Bond villain Jaw’s teeth of destruction, there are actually a couple of slightly more practical spy devices like the portable water craft, and hidden micro-film reader. Of course, as nice as all of the appetizers all, they’re just there to wet your appetite for the main course in the form of the other contender for greatest Bond car of all time in the Lotus Esprit. Impossibly loaded with anti-personnel devices (including surface to air missiles) , the car’s real ace up the sleeve comes in the form of its underwater capabilities. It also doesn’t hurt that the beautiful build of the Lotus ensures its style all the while. This movie is a real gem of the franchise, and filled with more than enough shiny toys to match.

Gadget Highlights:

The Lotus Esprit (with underwater option)

The Only Thing it Can’t Do is Get 8 Miles to the Gallon

Ski Pole .30 Caliber Gun

“Damn Snowboarders”

“MOONRAKER”

The Gadget Report:

“Moonraker” gives us a pretty good indication what a sci-fi James Bond movie may look like (memo: make that movie), and as such yields some impressive technology. We’ve got perfume dispensers that double as flamethrowers, an exploding bola, gondolas with hover boat capabilities, a separate fully loaded weaponized boat, cigarette cases that can crack safes, and poison pens used to kill snakes. The highlight is definitely the laser gun featured in the finale, that can shoot in space. Much like many of the other great gadgets in the movie, as absurd as it sounds on paper it’s actually very entertaining within the context of the film. This is definitely one of Bonds’ heaviest gadget outings, and there’s a lot to love.

Gadget Highlights:

Wrist Dart Gun

When Accessorizing Your Tuxedo, Do not Neglect your Cufflinks

The Laser Gun

Oddly Enough, the Above Picture is More or Less in Context

The Worst:

“DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”

The Gadget Report:

Appropriately, around the same time that Sean Connery and the studio stopped caring about the quality of their Bond movies, the prop department stopped caring about their gadgets. The word of the day for the gadgets on display is apathetic, as creativity doesn’t really exceed a fake fingerprint or over the counter voice changer, and bottoms out with the dumbest moon buggy ever devoted to film or a slightly more vicious dime store pocket finger trap. Considering how much weight Sean Connery had put on by this point, you would think they would have put more effort into giving him better toys, but alas that is not the case. Even the coolest invention in the movie (Q’s ring that can rig slot machines) just leaves me with the feeling the man was trying to earn enough money to get out of MI6 before they fired him for his invention quality.

Can’t say I blame him.

Gadget Low Points:

The Pocket Trap

“Oh…God WHY?!?!?”

Moon Buggy

About the Time James Bond Wished he’d Heeded Q’s Advice to bring the Aston Martin Back in One Piece

“HER MAJESTY’S SERVICE”

The Gadget Report:

This movie gets a lot of hate, mostly due to the terrible presence of amateur actor George Lazenby as James Bond. While it’s not quite that bad, what is unforgivable is the awful “Oscar bait” feel of the movie as someone thought it would be a good idea for Bond to be taken more seriously (and not in the good “Casino Royale” way). The biggest victim in the process, besides the audience, were the gadgets of which there are almost none. When the highlight of your spy arsenal is either a radioactive piece of lint that functions as a homing device, or a copy machine then you know you’re in for a rough couple of hours. Devoid of any personality from its star, this is one Bond movie that would have definitely benefited from a few more explosive everyday objects.

Gadget Low Points:

Radioactive Tracking Lint

Either MI6 had Budget Issues, or Q Started Taking to the Bottle Again

George Lazenby

The Most Useless Tool Ever in A Bond Movie

“THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”

The Gadget Report:

The actual Golden Gun itself is a beautiful device, that is built from a pen, a cigarette lighter, a cigarette case, and a cuff link to form a one shot tool for the expert marksman. It’s unfortunately far and away the only gadget highlight though, as the rest of the movie feels like a game of HORSE for which prop guy could top the last for the worst gadget. You may think it’s the pedestrian spy store bought tracking device, only for that to be topped by a flying car that’s just a car with wings tied to it with little more than rope. Of course the ultimate gadget trick shot would be the fake nipple. There is no way to soften this with plot context as James Bond puts on a fake nipple to disguise himself in what is supposed to be a dramatic moment. To whoever had to design James Bond’s fake nipple, I feel bad, but you, my friend, won terrible gadget HORSE.

Gadget Low Points:

Flying AMC Matador

Not Pictured: Dignity

Fake Nipple Disguise

Always Trust a Man With A Third Nipple. Always

“A VIEW TO A KILL”

The Gadget Report:

This movie is definitely a case of Bond being completely outclassed by his nemeses in the gadget department. Whereas Max Zorin has a cane with steroid injector for his race horses, James Bond has a snowboard. Zorin has scanners in all of his walls to fully identify anyone in his building, and James Bond has an electric shaver with an audio bug in it. Zorin has a portable building that morphs into a villainous Zeppelin, and Bond has a pair of sunglasses that can see through tinted windows.

Actually now that I think about it, with the possible exception of that zeppelin, those are all kind of terrible.

Gadget Low Points:

Razor Sharp Butterflies

Couldn’t Find a Picture of the Actual Butterflies in this Movie, Which is Actually a Good Career Move

Tinted Window Viewing Sunglasses

Roger Moore Wore Sunglasses Because His Career Was so Bright

“THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH”

The Gadget Report:

Have you ever known someone who was encouraged to chase their dreams and escape their everyday dull lives, only to have it turn out that they really, really suck? The gadgets of this movie share that same quality, as for the most part they are typical, dull, but efficient inventions like X-Ray glasses, lockpicks, hook watches, and even a decent looking boat. They’re nothing that sets the world on fire, but nothing to be ashamed of either. But then the gadgets get the misguided notion to go for it all and really blow people’s minds, and things turn ugly. Suddenly we’re faced with a pair of flame thrower bagpipes and a ski jacked that doubles as a domed escape pod (of course I’m serious). While I supposed the gadgets could go back to their monotonous day job output, to tell you the truth I was being generous about those earlier. They also really sucked.

Gadget Low Points:

Bagpipe Flamethrowers

Nobody Cheated Like Rowdy Roddy Piper Cheated

Ski Jacket Escape Bubble

“This is Where I keep My Shame…”

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/11/09/the-best-and-worst-gadget-arsenals-of-james-bond/feed/0Binder’s Full of Women: The Evolving Art of the Classic James Bond Title Sequencehttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/11/02/binders-full-of-women-the-evolving-art-of-the-classic-james-bond-title-sequence/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/11/02/binders-full-of-women-the-evolving-art-of-the-classic-james-bond-title-sequence/#commentsFri, 02 Nov 2012 17:43:56 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=20932

Bullz-Eye is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film with look back at every Bond movie, 007 One by One, along with a series of features about the Bond franchise, all laid out in our James Bond Fan Hub.

Over the years James Bonds came and went. Directors and writers shifted and changed. Vocalists were routinely swapped out. Though not the only constant in the Bond franchise, Maurice Binder, as the primary designer of the instantly recognizable title sequence, was certainly one of the most noticeable ones. For the bulk of Bond’s first 27 years, Binder brought us a cavalcade of swirling colors and curvaceous ladies, typically set to the tune of a current pop sensation. His job was to help set the tone for the film to come by presenting elements and themes from the movie in an abstract, artistic fashion. For many, these title sequences became an important, even necessary part of the Bond movie-going experience, and remain so today, over 20 years after Binder’s passing. Here we take an entirely subjective look at his ongoing contributions to cinema’s longest-running movie franchise.

The first thing ever seen in a Bond movie is the opening gun barrel sequence, and no amount of praise can be too effusive for Maurice Binder’s creation of it. James Bond emerges in profile from the right, caught in the movie viewer’s cross hairs. He then spins around, shoots, and the gun sight fills with, presumably, the viewer’s blood.

It’s become part and parcel of the Bond films ever since, though only in “Dr. No” is it part of the title sequence proper; afterwards, it would be separated from the titles by the now also iconic pre-credits sequence. Coupled with the infamous Monty Norman-composed Bond theme song, the gun barrel sequence is that instantaneous moment when everyone simultaneously acknowledges they’re watching a Bond film.

After the gun barrel sequence, flashing colored lights set to the Bond theme reveal the title “Dr. No” as well as the cast, followed by the silhouettes of people dancing a sort of Jamaican mambo, and, finally, a calypso version of “Three Blind Mice” dovetails nicely into the movie itself. The “Dr. No” titles are a lot fun and unique in the Bond film series; the only real element of them that would come to feature heavily in the future is Binder’s inventive, energetic use of silhouette.

It’s anyone’s guess into what directions the Bond title sequences might’ve gone if Binder had helmed the titles for the “Dr. No” sequel. But he did not, and for the next two films – “From Russia with Love” and “Goldfinger” – the titles are designed by Robert Brownjohn. Both sequences march to the beat of different drum than Binder’s, and even though Brownjohn only ever did these two, his influence on what the Bond titles would ultimately evolve into on Binder’s watch cannot be discounted.

There’s an elegance and class that Brownjohn brings to the table that may or may not have progressed out of Binder as well, but for certain the one thing Brownjohn can be credited with is the fetishized exploitation of the female form, and both of his sequences are loaded with it; the curvaceous fairer figure is all but worshipped, and the dominant centerpiece of “From Russia with Love.”

Brownjohn’s other gimmick – projecting imagery over those lovely bodies – is strikingly used in both sequences. In the former, the credits are projected over the undulating female form, and in the latter, snippets of scenes from the movie itself. However, anything Brownjohn does with the “Goldfinger” sequence is very probably overshadowed by the sounds of Shirley Bassey, as this other imperative element – the pop song – finally drops into its place in the title sequence timeline. Bassey is the true star here, and her vocals remain some of the most iconic in film history.

With 1965’s “Thunderball,” Maurice Binder returned to his post in the franchise, and would remain with the series in this capacity for the next 24 years. Right here, right now . . . BAM! This is where all of the familiar elements finally congeal into the Bond title sequence we all know and love. Silhouettes of floating naked women mingle with silhouetted deep sea divers armed with harpoons. Water bubbles against myriad colors filling the screen. Tom Jones delivers bombastic accompaniment to the intense, widescreen visuals (also a first for the Bond series). This handful of disparate elements combine to create movie history, and our expectations for Bond would never be the same again.

Further, sometimes those silhouettes weren’t all that dark. Perhaps the one area where Binder figured he could outshine his temporary predecessor was to titillate the audience with brief flashes of visible boob and butt, and it worked, ahem, swimmingly.

Binder got even more creative on the next outing, by adding graphics and playing around with his silhouette technique by inverting it, as well as throwing filmed bits of flowing lava, erupting volcanoes, and sexy geisha ladies into the mix. Between the titles for “You Only Live Twice” and “Thunderball,” most of the tools in Binder’s creative box are on display, and he’d use various combinations of the pair in his work over the next 20 years and change. We’d also be remiss to not mention the theme tune sung by Nancy Sinatra, a hypnotic piece of work that’s stood the test of time.

Since “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was quite the mouthful, composer John Barry opted to create an instrumental piece for the titles, and it’s a rousing bit of work. Because this movie was, for the first time, introducing a new actor (George Lazenby) playing Bond, much of Binder’s work here consists of a montage of clips from the previous films, as the need was felt to stress to audiences that they were still following the adventures of the same man. The trip down memory lane aside, the graphics are borderline psychedelic, bursting with eye-popping color — wholly indicative of the film to come.

With “Diamonds Are Forever” the series moved into a new decade, yet the movie still had a foot in the Sixties, as is evidenced by the return of both Sean Connery and Shirley Bassey; the latter again dominates these proceedings. Binder grabs the iconography of diamonds and Blofeld’s cat to create the titles which brought an end to the Connery era.

When Roger Moore arrived on the scene in 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” the titles exploded around him, via the inevitable hiring of a Beatle (and his wife) to pen and perform the theme. Paul McCartney and Wings arguably delivered the most instantly perfect Bond theme since “Goldfinger,” which is vaguely ironic, since it was in “Goldfinger” that James Bond took a swipe at the Fab Four: “That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!”

Here Binder deals in the nightmarish, voodoo aspects of the movie, including human skulls and crackling fire, all wrapped around women of color, some covered in tribal paint. An argument could be made that these titles are the “You Only Live Twice” titles on LSD. There can be no doubt that the franchise, and Binder’s work along with it, had firmly entered the 1970s.

The titles for “The Man with the Golden Gun” are a fairly paint by numbers affair, despite the complete and utter catchiness of Lulu’s theme song. Indeed, as a rule of thumb, if the song is the most memorable aspect of the Bond title sequence, then boundaries aren’t being sufficiently pushed, even within the limited confines of the format. That being said, the silhouette gettin’ down about two-thirds of the way through is a fine specimen of woman.

Harsh criticism can in no way be leveled at “The Spy Who Loved Me” titles, which showcase Binder at quite possibly the height of his creative powers. Simply put, everything comes together, in about an ideal a manner as possible. The imagery is slightly more abstract than the norm, mostly eschewing iconography from the movie, though sexy, athletic Russian ladies are a theme. Instead it seemingly invokes Bond’s relationship with women in general, achieved via the inclusion of Roger Moore, under the direction of Binder, as a part of the sequence. This was a first. It wasn’t movie footage, as had previously been done with “Goldfinger” and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” – this was specially shot, and given the film’s title, it was an appropriate creative call.

Then there’s that perfectly gorgeous theme tune, performed by Carly Simon, and written by Carole Bayer Sager and Marvin Hamlisch, that so effortlessly works hand in hand with Binder. “Nobody Does It Better,” indeed. The marriage of music and imagery here is the stuff the very best music videos are made of, and this compares to ballet. If we were stuck a desert island with only one Bond title sequence, it’d be this one.

It’d be easy at this point to claim it was all downhill for Binder’s Bond after ’77, but that would be to deny a huge chunk of his artistry. Just because he peaked with “Spy,” doesn’t mean there weren’t bursts of beauty afterwards. Sadly, “Moonraker” doesn’t really have one of those moments. Visually it feels like leftovers from “Spy,” but its biggest problem, which is no fault of Binder’s, is the return to the Shirley Bassey well for a third time, a decision that no longer works. She’s from a different era altogether, and out of step with the movie itself, which was thematically looking forward to the future via its sci-fi aspects.

Things get seriously back on track with 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only,” a sequence, which, like “Spy,” features a visual first: The inclusion of chanteuse Sheena Easton’s face and body as a part of the titles. It’d be easy to claim that this was a reaction to the growing popularity of MTV if not for one thing – MTV didn’t launch until about three months after the movie was released. So instead we must assume that the decision was purely an aesthetic one, given that Sheena Easton was pretty enough to be a Bond girl herself. She’s a marvel, and the song by Bill Conti and Michael Leeson is nearly as tight as Carly Simon’s. Finding a current, pretty pop star with serious pipes was the apology after Bassey’s flaccid “Moonraker.”

Binder creates a swirling, sensual concoction here, and this was the last time he was truly on fire, doing the thing that he’s best known for, in the history of cinema.

We need look no further than the titles for “Octopussy” for proof of our previous assertion. Rita Coolidge is a fine singer, but not at all right for Bond, and out of step with the cultural zeitgeist of that moment. Couple her with yet another title that makes for a potentially awkward theme, and we end up with “All Time High,” and likely Binder’s least inspiring work in the series. There’s simply nothing of note here, unless we want to mention the unintentionally laughable bits such as Bond swinging a woman around in circles by an arm and a leg, and the visual around the 1:20 mark, where it appears Bond is humping the model.

With Moore’s swansong, “A View to a Kill,” the series swings back around to contemporary and current by getting Duran Duran on board. Their theme song is exceptional, and Binder gives it his all, in an attempt to deliver visuals to match the audio. This title sequence, much like the year 1985, is a garish, hideous affair, drenched in glow in the dark excess. Not bad necessarily, as Binder seems at his worst when he’s not trying, and here he clearly is, but such a freakshow, you cannot take your eyes off it. He even brings a little something new to the table by featuring silhouetted naked men – on skis, no less! In doing so, Binder sort of proves why he’d never done it before: They appear neutered, like a Ken doll. Clearly the male form does not lend itself well to Binder’s artistry.

As we enter the final stretch of Maurice Binder’s work with the James Bond series, a new actor – Timothy Dalton – has been cast in the lead role, and a new era seemingly begins, even though behind the scenes it was all business as usual, with the same creative minds calling the shots in a cinematic world threatening to leave Bond behind. It was a franchise in a mild creative crisis, punctuated by being only a two-picture affair. It should come as no surprise that Binder’s final title sequences, as well as the songs the play over them, reflect this rocky footing.

“The Living Daylights” feels like a straight-up greatest hits compilation. It works well enough, but just. The same can more or less be said of Binder’s fourteenth and final Bond title sequence, 1989’s “Licence to Kill.” Few artists do their greatest work at the end of their careers, and Binder is no exception. While this is workmanlike, and not particularly exceptional, it’s difficult to level too much criticism at this stage, since he’d essentially been reworking variations of the same idea repeatedly since “Thunderball” (much like the franchise itself). But the fact that he was able to do it over and over again, for so long, while simultaneously charming generations of moviegoers speaks volumes to his talent and legacy.

Maurice Binder died at the relatively young age of 66 in 1991. Even if he’d lived to see ’95, when the Bond franchise was revived with Pierce Brosnan in the lead, it seems unlikely his services would have been called upon. Starting with “Goldeneye,” the title sequences (“Quantum of Solace” aside) have been designed by commercial and music video director Daniel Kleinman. On his watch they’ve become elaborate, CGI-driven affairs, which, while taking cues from and paying due homage to Binder’s work, have become their own, different sort of excessive animal.

All 22 of the Bond title sequences are now available to view in one single block (clocking in at over an hour), in gorgeous eye-popping 1080p, on the bonus disc of the recent Blu-ray box set, Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection.

There are plenty of reasons to watch the James Bond films, but the Bond girls definitely keep many fans coming back. There have been many of iconic moments over the years involving these beautiful women, and many of them naturally involve bikinis.

In putting together the slideshow above, choosing the first image presented a tough call. We decided to go with the incomparable Halle Berry who looks absolutely flawless in this orange bikini from “Die Another Day.” She barely edged out the stunning Ursula Andress who started it all as Honey Ryder in the first Bond film, “Dr. No.” Andress set the standard for all future Bond babes with her memorable scene as she emerged from the sea.

The third photo has Claudine Auger in another beach scene from “Thunderball,” and then we have a promo shot from “The Man with the Golden Gun” with Maud Adams and Britt Ekland hanging out with Roger Moore.

In pic #5 we have the lovely Izabella Scorupco from “GoldenEye” striking a pose, and then Caterina Murino riding a horse from “Casino Royale.” Jill St. John lounges around in her bikini in “Diamonds are Forever” and we finish up with Shirley Eaton from “Goldfinger” before she meets her demise from a coat of gold paint.

As a bonus, here’s Roger Moore in a promo shot from “For Your Eyes Only.” It’s good to be Bond!